Wintry weather hits North Carolina

Snow fell overnight, leaving trees and surfaces covered with white accumulation on Sunday, Feb. 7, in Oak Ridge, North Carolina.

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  • Ireland says UK not behaving like a 'respectable country'

    Britain's decision to make unilateral changes to Northern Irish Brexit arrangements is "not the appropriate behaviour of a respectable country" and will erode trust with the European Union, senior Irish ministers said on Thursday. The EU promised legal action on Wednesday after the British government unilaterally extended a grace period for checks on food imports to Northern Ireland, a move Brussels said violated terms of Britain's divorce deal.

  • Nasdaq loses all of its 2021 gain

    The Nasdaq went negative for the year Thursday as Wall Street got the wind knocked out of it for the third straight session, as inflation fears continued to grip the market. The tech-heavy Nasdaq is just about 10 percent below the record closing high set on February 12th - putting the index on the cusp of what is known on Wall Street as a correction.The Dow shed 345 points. The S&P 500 lost 51 points. The Nasdaq tumbled 274 points. Thursday's deep stock market declines were sparked by remarks made by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the Fed isn't ready to tweak its easy-money policies. That unnerved some investors who are growing worried about inflation, says Victoria Fernandez, chief market strategist at Crossmark Global Investments."I think what may be happening is that the inflation fears that the market is seeing right now, you have Powell saying they are going to be transitory, inflation rises, and so they (the Fed) are not going to move based on those. And perhaps the market is losing a little bit of confidence in the Fed and that they're going to be able to control rising inflation."Investors got another whiff of inflation from the oil market. Crude oil prices hit highs not seen in more than a year. U.S. crude jumped to nearly $64 a barrel after OPEC and its allies agreed to keep production cuts in place.Economic numbers didn't provide much comfort. New claims for unemployment benefits jumped to 745,000 last week, as brutal winter storms in the densely populated South added to job woes. Some 18 million American were on unemployment benefits through mid-February. Markets will get a closer look at the employment picture on Friday with the release of the closely-watched monthly jobs report.

  • Biden secretly limits drone strikes, amid congressional scrutiny over war powers

    Obama administration greatly expanded the use of drone strikes before later imposing checks

  • Trump state department staffer arrested on Capitol riot charges

    FBI claim defendant was employed by State Department and possessed Top Secret security clearance

  • The pet whisperer of Fukushima

    Most steer clear of Fukushima's restricted zone in Japan.But for Sakae Kato, it's the place of his life's mission: taking care of abandoned pets, which he refers to as 'kids.'"There were some frustrations in the past ten years that made me wonder why I was doing such things. But if humans have trouble making a living, the society will take care of them, and provide them social aid. If these kids are in trouble and no one is taking care of them, they will die." All of his family and neighbors fled after an earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear plant meltdown 10 years ago.But Kato vowed to stay on in a near-empty township and began taking care of stray pets.Kato and his 41 stray cats now live in a dilapidated house.Water is collected from a nearby mountain spring and Kato uses public toilets outside the restricted area."It's getting harder to take care of the animals so I think it will be even much harder in 10 years' time. I want to be around when the last cat dies, then I want to die after that, no matter if it takes a day or an hour, I want to take care of the last cat here before I die. Otherwise it would be cruel to leave it alone. I will not breed any more cats but it's also sad to see them go."Kato isn't technically allowed to sleep at his house and is officially a resident of Fukushima city which is a two-hour drive away.He says his family is opposed to his charitable, but costly, project.Taking care of the animals eats up around $7,000 a month for food, fuel and veterinary expenses.Kato estimates he has spent at least $750,000 over the past 10 years looking after the pets.But his kindness has not always received a warm welcome from onlookers.In February, Kato was arrested on suspicion of freeing wild boar caught in traps set up by Japan's government."People don't like wild boars and they say they're vermin. But the boars have come here in front of the garage since they were babies. They're getting bigger and bigger and now they also bring their children here with them, so to me they're like my children."Despite these obstacles, Kato insists he has permission to stay in the area and won't be deterred from what he sees as his life's purpose.

  • Alec Baldwin deactivates Twitter account over 'switching accents' joke

    The actor made light of a recent controversy surrounding the heritage of his wife, Hilaria.

  • Joe Manchin voted against including a $15 minimum wage provision in the relief bill, even though 250,000 West Virginians would benefit from the increase

    The Economic Policy Institute estimates a $15 minimum wage would benefit 32 million workers, but centrist Democrats have continued to block its implementation.

  • A man in jail tried to hire a hitman to kill the witnesses in his court case but the guy was actually a federal informant

    The US Virgin Islands man denied trying to hire a hitman to kill witnesses, but prosecutors recovered calls and text messages showing otherwise.

  • Charles Barkley lost weight because he was worried about being lifted in a chair for the traditional Jewish hora at his daughter's wedding

    "Listen, I need all Jewish people on deck, brother," Chuck told Jimmy Kimmel about the chair lift. "Cause I can only get so skinny by Saturday, man."

  • Live stimulus updates: Senate vote-a-rama on stimulus bill stalls for nearly 6 hours

    Biden and Democratic leaders are pushing for passage before March 14 when unemployment benefits approved under an earlier relief bill expire.

  • Kim Kardashian calls out tabloids for comparing her to a whale and shaming her on a 'weekly basis' during her 1st pregnancy

    The 40-year-old "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star reshared several offensive magazine covers about her pregnancy weight gain in 2013.

  • Fox News Turns to Tyrus, Currently Embroiled in Sexual-Harassment Lawsuit, for Thoughts on Cuomo

    Fox NewsFor thoughts on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s harassment scandal, Fox News daytime show Outnumbered on Friday turned to Tyrus, who is currently embroiled in a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit from his former Fox Nation co-host Britt McHenry.“As far as, all women should be heard and respected, and then you need to have the investigation and then results of the investigation. Uhh, we need to respect those,” the Fox contributor said, when asked for his thoughts on the accusations against Cuomo, before quickly pivoting to the controversy over the governor’s alleged cover-up of coronavirus-related nursing home deaths.Later in the broadcast, Tyrus was asked to comment on why many prominent Democrats have not commented on the three women accusing Cuomo of sexual harassment. “It’s so important that we respect the process of the investigations and not be quick to pass judgments but at the same time, that's kind of across the board for everything,” he declared, adding: “This is not a fortunate situation but the investigation will be compelling and will give us the answer that we need.”Britt McHenry: Fox News Is Promoting My Harasser Tyrus While It Buries MeMcHenry, who recently made her first on-air Fox appearance in more than a year, alleged that the network has sidelined her while promoting and protecting Tyrus, whom she accused of sending lewd and inappropriate texts. Late last year, a judge denied Tyrus’ motion to dismiss McHenry’s lawsuit and said the case would move forward. Tyrus has continually denied the allegations and Fox has maintained that McHenry’s claims are “without merit.”Fox News turns to Tyrus, who is currently being sued by a Fox colleague for sexual harassment and retaliation, to weigh in on the Andrew Cuomo sexual misconduct scandal. pic.twitter.com/GzZSYOpYOp— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 5, 2021 Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Texas regulators will not correct $16 billion in electricity ‘overcharges.’ Why?

    Texas regulators say they will not lower skyrocketing prices from the winter storm: “It’s nearly impossible to unscramble this sort of egg.”

  • Detroit's mayor rejected a shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Experts say that's nuts.

    Experts feared the Johnson & Johnson vaccine's slightly lower efficacy rate would lead to an impression of a two-tiered system. That has been exactly the case in Detroit, where the mayor just rejected a shipment of the company's vaccine. CNN reports that Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (D) declined an allocation of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week, saying the other available vaccines are better. "Johnson & Johnson is a very good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best," he said. "And I am going to do everything I can to make sure the residents of the City of Detroit get the best." Stat News' Matthew Herper called this a "bad plan." It's true that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine trials showed a 72 percent efficacy rate, while Moderna and Pfizer, the two other approved coronavirus vaccines, have a rate of about 95 percent. But health experts say it's still an excellent option, and has other perks like only requiring a single shot and frequently leading to fewer side effects, reports The New York Times. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said people shouldn't overthink which one to get, and explained the vaccines can't really be compared head-to-head because of different trial circumstances. Besides, experts note, the raw numbers don't show the full picture. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine prevented all hospitalizations and deaths in its large clinical trial, meaning the slightly lower efficacy rate really only points to mild to moderate disease. Detroit's mayor, however, said the city has been able to meet demand with just its supply of Pfizer and Moderna doses, but CNN notes Duggan's administration only expanded vaccine eligibility to residents ages 50 and older with chronic medical conditions on Thursday. Duggan said he would accept Johnson & Johnson doses later on if all other doses are distributed and there are remaining residents who want a vaccine. More stories from theweek.comWhy the Dr. Seuss 'cancellation' is chillingWhat Republicans talk about when they talk about the 'working class'7 scathingly funny cartoons about Trump's CPAC appearance

  • Nasa's Perseverance rover takes its first drive on Mars

    The one-tonne robot wiggles its wheels before rolling forwards across Jezero Crater's dusty terrain.

  • High Court orders Mail on Sunday to publish Duchess of Sussex’s legal victory statement on front page

    The Mail On Sunday has been ordered by a High Court judge to publish a front-page statement about the Duchess of Sussex's legal victory over its publication of a letter to her father. Meghan’s lawyers sought an order requiring Associated Newspapers to publish a statement about her win on the front page of The Mail On Sunday and the home page of MailOnline “to act as a deterrent to future infringers”. Lord Justice Warby agreed that the newspaper needed to carry a story about the legal victory that was in line with the prominence it afforded its original story about the letter. On the top half of page three of the same edition, the Mail on Sunday must state that following a hearing in January, the High Court gave a judgment for the Duchess on her claim for copyright infringement. It will also have to include the following statement: “The court found that Associated Newspapers infringed her copyright by publishing extracts of her handwritten letter to her father in The Mail On Sunday and in MailOnline. “There will be a trial of the remedies to which the Duchess is entitled, at which the court will decide whether the Duchess is the exclusive owner of copyright in all parts of the letter, or whether any other person owns a share.” The judge said the notice must also be published on MailOnline for one week, with a link to the court’s full ruling on Meghan’s victory – which was delivered in February. Lord Justice Warby said he felt these were “measured incursions” into the newspaper’s freedom to decide what it publishes and does not publish. “They will involve little if any additional expense, and certainly nothing approaching the scale of the expense that has been lavished on this litigation,” he added. The Duchess is seeking £1.5 million in costs and also wants the newspaper to hand over any copies of the handwritten letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, 76. She is seeking a proportion of the company’s profits as damages. The Duchess, 39, sued Associated Newspapers over the publication of five articles that reproduced extracts of her handwritten letter. She was last month granted a summary judgment, a legal step that saw the privacy claim and the bulk of the copyright claim resolved in her favour without trial. At a remote High Court hearing on Tuesday, Lord Justice Warby heard further arguments on costs and unresolved issues relating to copyright and a data protection claim.

  • Lake of the Ozarks Realtor Offered $1.5K to Have Her Former Mother-in-Law Killed: Prosecutors

    Camden County JailA prominent Lake of the Ozarks real estate agent and self-described “cheer mom” has been arrested for allegedly trying to put a hit out on her former mother-in-law. Prosecutors in Camden County say Leigh Ann Bauman, 43, offered to pay $1,500 to people in St. Louis to make her former mother-in-law’s death “look like an accident.” She was reportedly concerned about the woman causing problems with her relationship with her kids.Bauman was recorded discussing the scheme, according to a press release from the Camden County prosecutor’s office. She was given multiple opportunities to change her mind when asked by a witness-turned-informant if she was sure she wanted to carry out the killing, prosecutors said, but she moved ahead with it, at one point acknowledging that she was a Christian but noting she could always ask for forgiveness later.The realtor also is said to have made no secret about her alleged plans. After sending a text message to her daughter that said, “Your grandmother will die,” Bauman allegedly plowed ahead with the plan and pushed for her former mother-in-law to be killed in the small town of Hermann.Her alleged murder-for-hire plot fell apart when an attorney for a person who was solicited to hire people to carry out the killing contacted the Missouri Highway Patrol. She was arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and is currently being held without bond in the Camden County Jail.“We’re very appreciative of what the witness did in this case,” Camden County Prosecutor Caleb Cunningham said Friday. “We encourage anyone to contact law enforcement if there’s a crime or suspected crime.” “A local realtor had several political connections and the witness was aware of these political connections,” Cunningham said. “Out of an abundance of caution, DDCC was used to avoid any hint of impropriety,” he said, referring to the Missouri Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control.Bauman, who describes herself as a realtor, an artist, an entrepreneur, and a “cheer mom” on her Facebook page, frequently posted online about her “track record of success.” While she was most well-known as a realtor, with nearly 20 years in the industry, she also apparently set a world record in a boating race last year. Her LinkedIn account also mentions work in pharmaceutical sales and an acting and modeling career, with appearances on Days of Our Lives and in Nike commercials.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Trump State Dept. Aide Accused of Beating Cops During Riot Is Already Hating Prison

    Criminal ComplaintA Trump appointee, who was still employed at the State Department when he allegedly bashed police at the U.S. Capitol with a riot shield and egged on a crowd of insurrectionists, has been arrested for his role on Jan. 6.Federico Klein, a 42-year-old State Department staff assistant with top security clearance, is facing a slew of charges, including unlawful entry and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, according to a criminal complaint first obtained by The New York Times. Prosecutors allege Klein, who also worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign, “physically and verbally engaged with the officers holding the line” before assaulting one officer with a riot shield—and using that stolen police equipment to wedge open a door into the Capitol to allow insurrectionists inside. “We need fresh people, need fresh people!” Klein, who is wearing a red MAGA hat, is heard yelling in a YouTube video as people stormed the building and police strained to hold back the crowd. Criminal Complaint During his initial court appearance on Friday, Klein’s appetite for chaos had subsided. After Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui read Klein his charges, Klein made it known he wasn’t happy about the conditions in a D.C. jail. “I wonder if there’s a place where I can stay in detention where I don’t have cockroaches crawling over me while I attempt to sleep... I mean, I really haven’t slept all that much, your honor. It would be nice if I could sleep in a place where there were not cockroaches everywhere,” Klein said, according to The Washington Post.Prosecutors argued on Friday that Klein should be detained pending trial because he assaulted an officer. A federal defender, however, insisted that Klein’s charges don’t amount to a crime of violence and he should be released under appropriate conditions. Criminal Complaint Klein’s arrest on Thursday night in Virginia, first reported by Politico, marked the first time a member of the Trump administration has faced charges in connection with the deadly siege. More than 300 people have been charged in connection with the riot that followed a speech by Trump in which he flogged the false claim that he had won the November 2020 election.According to the complaint, Klein was identified by people who saw the FBI social-media campaign with photos of rioters at the Capitol. The FBI also noted that he still had top-secret clearance for his work in the office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs until his resignation on Jan. 19.Another tipster flagged Klein's Facebook account to the feds, which was under the name “Freddie Klein,” according to court documents. On Klein’s Facebook page, he is seen in photos among a group covered in MAGA gear—and in another enjoying several Miller High Lifes.According to a ProPublica database of Trump appointees, Klein worked as a special assistant in the Office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs after joining the State Department on Jan. 22, 2017, where he was paid $66,510.‘It’s Not Fair!’: Rioter Who Posed in Pelosi’s Office Loses It in CourtA LinkedIn profile identified as Klein’s also states he has been politically active in the Republican Party since at least 2008, when he began volunteering for campaigns. Klein worked for the Trump campaign just prior to going to work for the State Department. Klein’s mother, Cecilia Klein, told Politico that her son had admitted to being in D.C. on Jan. 6—but told her that he was only “on the Mall. That’s what he told me.”“Fred’s politics burn a little hot... but I’ve never known him to violate the law.… While I believe, as he said, he was on the Mall that day, I don’t have any evidence, nor will I ever ask him, unless he tells me, where he was after he was on the Mall,” she added.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • A definitive ranking of all the Avengers, from least to most powerful

    We ranked every hero in the MCU using evidence from the 23 films - but necessary adjustments were made following the chaotic events of "WandaVision."

  • The US military is still working on how to keep the president's new helicopter from burning the White House lawn

    A test aircraft left scorch marks on the White House lawn a few years ago, and the military is still trying to figure out how to fix that.